Re:Advaita Bhakti thro. Contemplative Practice of Narayaniyam ( ABCPN - 5 )

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ABCPN - 5

Note: Please read the Introduction

– post #15182 - if you have not already read it)

 

Namaste.

 

Sloka No. 13 (Ref. nArAyaNIyaM : 2 - 2):

 

keyUrAngada-kankaNottama-mahA-ratn-AngulIy-Ankita-

shrImad-bAhu-catuShka-sangata-gadA-shankAri-pankeruhAM /

kAncit-kAncana-kAnci-lAnchita-lasat-pItAmbar-AlankR^itAM

Alambe vimal-Ambuja-dyuti-padAM mUrtiM tav-ARticchidaM //

 

Tr. I take refuge in Thy ineffable form glowing as it does with

ornaments like keyUra (bracelet on the upper arm), angada

(armlet) and kankana (bangle) and finger-rings of precious

jewels; with four sacred arms holding in them the mace, the

conch, discus and the lotus; with waist wrapped in yellow silk

fastened by a golden waist band; and with feet that resemble

exquisite lotuses and remove the woes of the devotees.

 

Comment. Those who believe only in the attributeless Absolute

might have problems in visualizing divine forms as described in

these two stanzas (Nos.12 and 13); but it must be said to the

credit of the bhakti movement in India from the 7th century

onwards, that it is this personalized intimacy with the Lord

that has shown thousands of devotees the path of spirituality

and led them thereon to the ultimate path of jnAna. And this

proves Bhattatiri’s point made in Sloka No.11 of this selection.

 

 

Sloka No. 14 (Ref. nArAyaNIyaM : 2 - 3):

 

yat-trailokya-mahIyaso’pi mahitaM sammohanaM mohanAt

kAntaM kAnti-nidhAnato’pi madhuraM mAdhurya-dhuryAd-api /

soundary-ottarato’pi sundara-taraM tvad-rUpam-Ashcaryato-

‘py-AshcaryaM bhuvane na kasya kutukaM puShNAti viShNo vibho //

 

Oh All-pervading Being! Who is there in all the universe that

will not be entranced by this Thy surprisingly wonderful Form,

which is superior in excellences to all objects considered great

in the three worlds; which is more charming than the most

charming of entities; whose splendour outshines every form of

brilliance; and whose sweetness and beauty would put to shame

all other objects that are noted for such qualities.

 

Comment: The emotional heights to which this and the earlier

verses may be associated with, cannot be dismissed as myths

created by poet. It would be as foolish as saying that the

Himalayas or the Ganges have been formed by spade work by some

groups of men. The cumulative devotional impact on the human

consciousness that these verses and the descriptions can and do

create should not be missed for the growth of spirituality. To

indulge in hair-splitting criticism of their methodology or

relevance would only be missing the wood for the trees.

 

Sloka No. 15 (Ref. nArAyaNIyaM : 98 - 1):

 

yasmin-netad-vibhAtaM yata idam-abhavad-yena cedaM ya eta-

dyo’smAduttIrNa-rUpaH khalu sakalam-idaM bhAsitaM yasya bhAsA /

yo vAcAM dUra-dUre punar-api manasA yasya devA munIndrA

no vidyus-tattva-rUpaM kimu punar-apare kr^iShNa tasmai namaste

//

 

Tr. Oh Krishna, to Him my salutations, who is the substratum on

which this world of manifestation appears; who is the root cause

of it; into whom it dissolves; who manifests as all the world

but none-the-less transcends them all and forms the Light of

Consciousness by which, and to which, they are revealed; who is

far beyond the scope of exact descriptions by words and

conception of mind; whose true nature neither the devas nor the

sages have known, not to speak of others; to Him, Krishna, my

salutations.

 

Comment. It is legitimate to ask for a quick list (and many

have so asked) of all the attributes of the Ultimate God or

Godhead in Hinduism. Here is an answer in this sloka. (Also see

sloka 17 below). But, as the author himself acknowledges, the

true nature of God cannot be fathomed by any one. The Lord

Himself says: There is no end to their detailed description

(Gita Ch. X – 19): ‘nAstyanto vistarasya me’. In trying to

depict the undepictable, one uses words but the Vedas themselves

say ‘Words recede from (describing) It’ (‘yato vAco nivartante’

– Taittiriyopanishad). So Bhattatiri also says: ‘yo vAcAM

dUra-dUre’, that is, ‘It is far beyond the scope of words’.

To describe the undescribable, you cannot but borrow ideas and

even words from the Upanishads. The words ‘sakalam-idam bhAsitaM

yasya bhAsA’ of the second line reminds one of the famous line

from Mundaka Upanishad II – 2 – 10: ‘Through Him all of them

shine, and through His expression, everything is expressed’ :

‘tameva bhAntaM anubhAti sarvaM tasya bhAsA sarvam-idaM

vibhAti’.

 

(For reference to earlier posts in this series, see #s 15207,

15231, 15250, 15282)

(To be continued)

praNAms to all advaitins

profvk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

 

 

 

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